From 1907 to 2026: Haitian Baccalaureate Enters Its Second Era (Part One)

By Nesmy Manigat

Every year, in July, the ritual of the baccalaureate examinations brings together tens of thousands of young Haitian women and men. For generations, it has constituted a true rite of passage. Until the ministerial decision of 2014, it was not uncommon for parents, despite very limited means, to make considerable sacrifices to buy their child new clothes so that he or she could sit the examinations with dignity and pride. For some families, this effort went as far as taking on debt, revealing the immense symbolic si